Lotion composition for treating tissue paper

Abstract

A lotion composition for imparting a soft, lubricious, lotion-like feel when applied to tissue paper in amounts as low as from about 5 to about 15% by weight, and tissue paper treated with such lotion compositions are disclosed. The lotion composition comprises plastic or fluid emollient such as petrolatum, or a mixture of petrolatum with alkyl ethoxylate emollient, an immobilizing agent such as a fatty alcohol or fatty acid to immobilize the emollient on the surface of the tissue paper web and optionally a hydrophilic surfactant to improve wettability when applied to toilet tissue. Because less lotion is required to impart the desired soft, lotion-like feel benefits, detrimental effects on the tensile strength and caliper of the lotioned paper are minimized or avoided.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A lotion composition for treating tissue paper which is semi-solid at 20° C. and which comprises: 
       (A) from about 20 to about 95% of a substantially water free petrolatum emollient having a plastic or fluid consistency at 20° C. and comprising a member selected from the group consisting of petroleum-based emollients, fatty acid ester emollients, alkyl ethoxylate emollients, fatty acid ester ethoxylates, fatty alcohol emollients, and mixtures thereof;  
       (B) from about 5 to about 80% of an agent capable of immobilizing said petrolatum emollient on the surface of tissue paper treated with the lotion composition, said immobilizing agent having a melting point of at least about 35° C. and comprising a member selected from the group consisting of C 14 -C 22  fatty alcohols, C 12 -C 22  fatty acids, and mixtures thereof;  
       (C) from about 1 to about 50% of a nonionic hydrophilic surfactant having an HLB value of at least about 4, wherein said hydrophilic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alcohols having an alkyl chain of from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms and having an average degree of ethoxylation ranging from about 1 to about 54, and ethoxylated sorbitan esters of C 12 -C 18  fatty acids having an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 2 to about 20; and  
       (D) from about 1 to about 50% of an additional hydrophilic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid, silicone polyether copolymer, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
       2. The lotion composition of  claim 1  which comprises from about 30 to about 80% of said petrolatum emollient. 
     
     
       3. The lotion composition of  claim 2  wherein said petrolatum emollient contains about 5% or less water. 
     
     
       4. The lotion composition of  claim 2  which comprises from about 5 to about 50% of said immobilizing agent, said immobilizing agent having a melting point of at least about 40° C. 
     
     
       5. The lotion composition of  claim 4  wherein said immobilizing agent comprises a C 16 -C 22  fatty alcohol. 
     
     
       6. The lotion composition of  claim 5  wherein said immobilizing agent comprises a C 16 -C 18  fatty alcohol. 
     
     
       7. The lotion composition of  claim 6  wherein said immobilizing agent comprises a C 16 -C 18  fatty alcohol selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       8. The lotion composition of  claim 7  wherein said immobilizing agent comprises a mixture of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. 
     
     
       9. The lotion composition of  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic surfactant comprises an ethoxylated alcohol having an alkyl chain of from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms and having an average degree of ethoxylation ranging from about 1 to about 54. 
     
     
       10. The lotion composition of  claim 9  wherein said ethoxylated alcohol has an alkyl chain of from about 11 to about 22 carbon atoms and an average degree of ethoxylation ranging from about 2 to about 30. 
     
     
       11. The lotion composition of  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic surfactant comprises an ethoxylated sorbitan ester of a C 12 -C 18  fatty acid having an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 2 to about 20. 
     
     
       12. The lotion composition of  claim 11  wherein said ethoxylated sorbitan ester has an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 2 to about 10. 
     
     
       13. The lotion composition of  claim 4  wherein said immobilizing agent comprises a C 12 -C 22  fatty acid. 
     
     
       14. The lotion composition of  claim 13  wherein said immobilizing agent is a C 16 -C 18  fatty acid. 
     
     
       15. The lotion composition of  claim 14  wherein said immobilizing agent is a C 16 -C 18  fatty acid selected from the group consisting of cetyl acid, stearic acid and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       16. The lotion composition of  claim 1  wherein said additional hydrophilic surfactant is a dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid. 
     
     
       17. The lotion composition of  claim 1  wherein said additional hydrophilic surfactant is a silicone polyether copolymer. 
     
     
       18. The lotion composition of  claim 7  wherein said additional hydrophilic surfactant is a dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid. 
     
     
       19. The lotion composition of  claim 7  wherein said additional hydrophilic surfactant is a silicone polyether copolymer. 
     
     
       20. The lotion composition of  claim 9  wherein said additional hydrophilic surfactant is a dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid and wherein said immobilizing agent comprises a mixture of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol.